Deployment Recap

I know that I rarely post, mostly because I know that Ashley and Kennedy information is far more entertaining.  However, I thought I would share a quick post recapping the Okinawa deployment.  So here we go!

So we'll start in the Philippines, because that is where I took my first real pictures from the deployment.  Here is the airport we arrived at.

 

We road a "life shortening" ride with a local to get to our camp.

Filipinos take a very liberal interpretation of "traffic laws".  You wanna fit 10 people on a motorcycle?  Go ahead!

 

I know this is fuzzy, but it's the best I could get off these things.  They are THE mode of public transportation.

 

One word: Lumpia.  A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

 

Outside the camp was this little shanty town that was set up IMMEDIATELY after the camp was established.  Some of the locals said the money the Marines spend here in a week is like a half years salary for most of their other jobs.

 

Out around Crow Valley

 

Our "live fire ranges" came with all kinds of perks, like Filipino equivalent of buffalo.

 

We got to watch and take part in Philippine Marine Corps Martial Arts (Pekiti Tirsia Kali).  It is pretty intense, even by USMC standards.

 

This is the partner company commander and his XO with me and my XO. 

 After all our training, a little libo was well deserved. Here is the hotel I stayed at.  The rooms are essential converted enlisted barracks.

 

This was a Filipino mall and shopping center.  A start contrast to the country side we'd been around all month.

 

 

This was where we had dinner.

 

And it as a delish chocolate shake!!!

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My GySgt isn't great at focusing my phone camera, but you can still read the sign.

So don't feed these guys.

 

 

 

As a side note, at one point we were living in a cow pasture.  And this was my home.  Just saying.

 

 

 

After the Philippines we did some amphibious operations off the coast of Okinawa.  Got to ride in these babies again.

 

Then it was off the to South Korea.  Let me tell you, people talk about the cold on the peninsula. They are not kidding!!

 We drove up near the DMZ for some of our training.  Driving through South Korea was exactly like driving through North Western America (other than the signs written in Korean). It is a beautiful country. 

 

We had an opportunity to work with US Army aviation.  As much as it ever pains a Marine to say it, I absolutely loved working with these guys.  Consummate professionals.  And they also had really cool toys.

 

Army chow is pretty good too.

 

Libo in Korea was awesome.  And just in case you got home sick...

 

 

If you are asking whether that is a remote controlled helicopter getting flown for entertainment in our berthing, the answer is maybe...

Our final training was partnered with Republic of Korea Marines.  This is Capt Cho.  He and his Marines were absolutely awesome.  We bother learned a ton from each other, and had a great time!

 

And this is the final event, a soccer game!  We got crushed, but I at least had an assist.  Didn't help that none of us had cleats.

 Finally, the last part of being in South Korea is being able to see battle fields from the war.  Here is a hill from the battle of Naktong Bulge

 

Ok, so when we got back from Korea, there were a number of boxes with lots of Christmas goodies.  In case anyone was worried, my Marines made good use of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 Finally, here are some interesting sights we saw all around Okinawa during some of our liberty.

 

  

I have some pictures from my new obsession (geo-caching, from Okinawa!) that I will post later on in the form of those Google + collages, but hopefully this gives you an idea of what I've been up to.